VICTORIA, B.C. – A total of 15 unanswered points from the University of Victoria Vikes men's rugby team erased a second half deficit as the Vikes got back to winning ways with a 32-30 win in a spirited contest against Capilano RFC on Apr. 2 at Wallace Field.
 
The win puts a stop to a two-game slide for the Vikes who are now 3-4 in CDI Premier League action in 2016.
 
The Vikes broke through early when Jeff Nishma-Miller scored within the first minutes of the game to give the Vikes a 5-0 lead. Capilano responded minutes later with a short penalty kick through Chad Carlsen to reduce the deficit to two.
 
The home side were rewarded with their second try after a goal-line stand was deemed to have crossed the line by the officials after meeting to discuss the decision. With ten minutes left before the half, the Vikes led by seven, up 10-3.
 
Capilano equalized the game at 10-10 after multiple in-close attempts at breaking the Vikes' defensive line. On the final play of the half, Carlsen put through his second penalty of the half to give Capilano the 13-10 lead at the break.
 
Following the intermission, the Vikes went back in front after winger Kapi Vataiki put together a strong 30-yard run down the left-hand side before touching down between the uprights for the 15-13 lead. Gradyn Bowd added the short conversion to make it 17-13 in favour of the Vikes. But just as the Vikes found their stride, the Caps answered right back to go back infront, this time by a narrow margin, 18-17.
 
Just after the Caps made it a 23-17 game, outside half Morgan Tate went on a strong individual run to put the Vikes down by only a point in the final few minutes. Bowd would narrowly miss the conversion, meaning the Vikes needed to put together a strong defensive hold and a score to keep the hopes of a victory alive.
 
In the final quarter of the match, the Vikes strung together three-straight tries to give themselves some breathing room late in the game up 32-23. The Caps would add seven on the final play of the game but couldn't catch the Vikes as the home side walked away from Wallace Field with a close 32-30 victory.
 
The Vikes close out the CDI Premier League regular season on Apr. 9 in Vancouver at the Brockton Oval against the Rowers.